


under the stars

by orphan_account



Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: AU, More characters as it progresses, Multi, Rooster teeth still exists though, Satellite Agents, Wish-granting, but expect that for now, not everyone works there, probably unless it goes differently, secret agent AU, some will only be mentioned, sorta - Freeform, will be AHOT6 eventually
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-07-10
Updated: 2014-07-18
Packaged: 2018-02-08 07:44:05
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,803
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1932531
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ray makes a wish on a shooting star. Ryan is sent to grant it.<br/>-<br/>Inspired by a WTNV tweet.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. When You Wish Upon A Star

**Author's Note:**

> Hello. A few notes here.  
> Firstly, this work was inspired by a lovely tweet by Welcome To Night Vale. It is partially written, but I cannot predict the final length at this point in time. I will also be at work on a sequel of sorts to "So much for first impressions.", so if updates are sporadic, it can't be helped. I apologize for the disorganization.  
> Secondly, the pairings will be added as they go along, but currently it looks like AH-OT6 will be final. Unless the plot I've envisioned changes, in which case the tags will be amended.  
> Thirdly, I hope you enjoy!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Expository, mainly.

The stars twinkled softly behind the sparse layer of wispy cirrus clouds. Ray took a deep breath of chilly November air, and he shoved his hands further into his pockets. Buildings loomed overhead. Lights out, they cast long shadows beneath the pale beams of the crescent moon.

Ray honestly wasn't an outside person, but he couldn't resist coming out that night for the meteor shower; it'd been years since he'd last seen one, four years old and peering into the sky in awe from his perch atop his father's shoulders. It was a memory that had always stuck with him, though he remembered little else of his early childhood.

The buildings thinned out as he reached the edge of the city. Sidewalks morphed into grassy slopes beneath his feet, and he found a hillside to lay down on. Above him, the night sky sparkled. His eyes darted back and forth, eager to see the first shooting star. The air was still, and Ray could feel the blades of grass tickling his exposed arms fold behind his head. The calm lulled him, but he forced his eyes to stay open. He wasn't going to miss this.

He almost did, though, as the first meteor whizzed by in his peripheral vision. He was instantly awake; his eyes returned to their frantic scanning. It was a good two or three minutes before another sparkling jet flew across the sky. Ray watched in a familiar awe as it flared bright against the inky expanse before finally dissipating into the atmosphere. As the meteor shower picked up pace, Ray felt a pang of nostalgia- all the wishes he'd made as a child, naively hoping in a power he knew deep down didn't really exist, on birthday candles and on lucky pennies tossed into a water fountain- memories flew into his brain and swam in his field of vision. He laughed to himself as he relived the wish fifteen-year-old Ray had made; he'd been an awkward teenager, reclusive and rather lonely because of it, and he'd made a wish for someone to talk to, to understand him, to accept and love him- he always was such a romantic at heart, no matter how much he'd deny it. Now, Ray shook his head at his old self. He had friends now, and even though the wish had never come completely true, he hadn't let it get to him for quite a while. It was hard to when he was working his dream job with his newly found friends. It took years of effort and ignoring distracting thoughts and fears to get Ray to where he was now. He didn't need a silly wish to do what he was capable of, just courage and the power of will.

All the same, he lingered in the memory, reveling in the snippet of phantom emotion. It had been forever since he'd felt those feelings, and yet they rushed into him so easily. He forced them back, regretting his actions, and tried instead to focus on the meteor shower.

And yet, as Ray lay beneath a blanket of stars and fizzling meteor tails, he couldn't help but make the same wish he'd made all those years ago- not that he'd ever admit it.

 

-

 

Two hundred miles straight up, the lights of the satellite dimmed. A whirring of instruments lifted in volume, and the satellite slowed to a near halt. Its cockpit's occupants unbuckled and moved to check the instruments.

“Anything, sir?”

“No, Ashley, looks like no one was watching this time- hold on,” the man trailed off. The screen was no longer displaying blanks; rather, numbers began scrolling rapidly until a small map appeared. The numbers rearranged themselves into coordinates. Ashley moved in to get a closer look.

“Do we actually have one?” Ashley's excitement was poorly masked in her tone.

“... I think so,” the man breathed. He took off his glasses and polished them on the hem of his shirt. She whistled.

“Been a while, eh, Burnie?” She began pressing keys on the board until the small map zoomed in. a grainy image began to enhance. They could make out a single man, lying on the grass. With no one else in plain view, there was no doubt that this was their wisher.

“Yeah, no kidding,” Burnie finally answered, still gaping. “Last time was, what, your fifth month here?” she muttered an affirmation, focused more on data than their conversation. “People just don't believe in all this anymore,” Burnie mumbled, mostly to himself.

“So, who do you want on this one? I know Gus has been dying to get back in the field,” she proffered, but her boss shook his head.

“No, Ashley, I think we need someone new on this one. Besides,” he added, skimming over the wish data, “This one won't be too impossible for a rookie. Hopefully.”

As she saved the data to a microchip, Burnie headed towards the door to the rest of the station. “Oh, and Ashley? I'll let you make the call this time,” he called, and, as if an afterthought, “Just make sure it's a good one.”

 

-

 

Ray didn't remember going home. In fact, the last thing he remembered was falling asleep beneath the stars- which, in hindsight, was perhaps not the best of ideas- as the meteors rained down. Yet, there he was in his apartment, sprawled on his bed in the same clothes he'd been wearing when he went out. His shoes were neatly placed by the door, his wallet and keys on the dresser. Ray's brow furrowed in thought. Since when was he that organized so late at night?

The bed was warm, and sleep tugged at his half-awake brain. He was just beginning to slip under again when his ears picked up the clattering of pots and pans too near to be anywhere but in his apartment. He sat up, stumbling out of the bedroom, but it never crossed his mind to grab his phone in case of an intruder. The lights were off as he crept down the hallway; the clattering noises grew louder in proximity, punctuated by short bursts of- humming? He wasn't sure.

When Ray finally steeled himself and rounded the corner, he fell to a dead halt. There was a strange man in his apartment. Making breakfast.

“Good morning, Ray,” the man called over his shoulder from the stove. “Sit down, it's almost ready.”

Ray found himself obeying the gentle command, though he couldn't say why. After all, why would he listen to a stranger?

(Yet, he couldn't help but admit to himself that something about the man's rich, low voice, soft eyes, and pleasant smile struck him as a familiar figure, a friend.)

True to his word, the man set a plate of eggs and bacon before Ray, then took the seat across from him. He didn't have a plate, and Ray stared at the food awkwardly- he didn't want to seem rude ( _Why? s_ omething in his brain asked. _You don't even know him._ ). The man seemed to pick up on his hesitation. “Please, go ahead,” he gestured. “I've already eaten, it's fine.”

Ray nodded and took a bite. It was warm and flavorful, cooked just to his liking. A smile of satisfaction tugged at the corners of his lips, and he dug into the food with vigor. When he looked up, the man was watching him eat with a grin.

“'s good,” Ray said, sheepishly ducking his head as the food slurred his words.

“I'm glad,” the man laughed. “I'd hoped you'd enjoy it.”

Ray swallowed and took a sip of the orange juice the man handed him from the counter (before he'd even gotten the chance to ask, what was with this guy?). “So,” he coughed, setting the fork down. “Uh... What exactly are you doing in my apartment anyways, um...?”

The stranger blinked owlishly, taking in Ray's hands waving as if fumbling for a tangible thing rather than his name, then processed the situation. “Ryan,” he offered, and Ray shook his extended hand with only slight, confused hesitation.

“Ray, but I guess you already... knew that,” Ray finished lamely. Ryan just smiled at him again.

“I did. And, to answer your question, I must first ask another.” He cleared his throat and folded his hands on top of the table. “Have you ever made a wish on a shooting star?”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed! As always, comments or critiques are welcomed (and very much appreciated)!


	2. Mission Control

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ray and Ryan get to work.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Phew, sorry this took so long! It's not perfect, but it's hopefully enough of an update to tide you all over until next time!

Ryan Haywood was relatively new to the project, having been hired as a behind-the-scenes sort of guy. He'd only gone on one mission with Lindsay, and he'd primarily been helping with the preliminary work; he didn't actually meet her charge, a man whose name maybe started with an “M,” as his tight schedule did not permit him the downtime to introduce himself. Although, thinking back, that was probably for the best. The less meddling, the better, after all. Besides, this was Lindsay's job; he was just the man behind the curtain.

That curtain was lifted, however, after their mission was completed in half the time their superiors had expected. With a sad smile, Lindsay had approached him in the early hours of post-wrap up, offering him a bittersweet congratulations and farewell hug- he'd been promoted and assigned to a new satellite. Within the week, he'd been transferred.

Burnie and Ashley had been nice, and his mentor, Gus, had seemed friendly enough. Despite their kindness, it had been a while before he began feeling completely comfortable around them; something about being confined to such a small space for so long did that, he supposed, and the lack of missions didn't help.

This was his first case. He was dying to impress his superiors. Maybe then they'd move him somewhere bigger. Not to say that he was eager to leave his new coworkers- he liked their company alright, but he missed working with Lindsay and Kdin.

So when he landed, he dove straight into his work, which just so happened to involve carrying the sleeping Ray home. Once the man was set in bed, Ryan had taken a seat on the couch and had begun collecting data, as well as brainstorming a few possible approaches to the project, in his log. It hadn't been long before he fell asleep, too. It was light and too short for his liking, but he ignored those thoughts and went to make breakfast until Ray woke up.

 

-

 

All this, Ryan told to Ray, leaving out most of the unimportant facts about himself that he'd deemed too personal for him to comfortably share. He could tell Ray thought he was crazy as he went on, but the man didn't say anything, opting to politely stay quiet and hear him out. When he finished, he looked at Ray expectantly. “I suppose you'll have a few questions.”

“Yeah, kind of. Like, how did you even get in my building?” Ray ran a hand through his hair. “And more importantly, just what do you mean by satellites and all that? I mean, you can't really know what I wished for.”  
“Don't be too sure of that,” Ryan pointedly ignored the first two questions. “We have ways to scan thoughts in the satellites. Wishes are child's play once you figure out how to interpret brain waves.”

“So, you know all about what I was thinking and stuff?”

“More or less. It isn't an exact science; we can only usually pick out the most prominent thought, or wish, as it were, and stick with that.”

“Oh,” Ray mumbled. His cheeks threatened to heat up as he remembered the wish he'd been recalling. Had that really been the one he'd made? How embarrassing. They had to have heard that one- whoever “they” were.

Ryan stared at him, seeming to know what he was thinking without assistance from any equipment. It set Ray just a bit on edge, the level of understanding emanating from the older man's eyes- they seemed to read his every thought and motion with a comprehension far beyond any human capacity. It reminded Ray of those TV psychics; Ryan's presence betrayed something entirely supernatural to Ray, and it was almost like some higher being was sat before him.

“Ray?”

Ray snapped out of his trance. He hadn't realized he'd been staring, though he knew he did have a tendency to let his mind go off on its own tangent sometimes. He looked down, and the blush finally erupted across his cheeks. Ryan chuckled.

“I can't read your mind, if that's what you're wondering,” Ryan waved a hand dismissively. “Now, if you're done eating, we have some work to do.

 

-

 

Ray groaned as Ryan steered him down the street. The older man would stop him mid-step and change his direction. Finally, Ray stopped walking altogether and yanked the man aside.

“Ryan, aren't people going to notice you dragging a grown-ass man down the street like a little kid? Do you want to get one of those kid leashes? What?” He asked, more for his own pride than for Ryan's.

“Nah,” Ryan answered easily. “You're the only one that can actually see me.”

“... Wait,” Ray's brow furrowed. “So why didn't you just tell me where to go? I mean, instead of pulling me everywhere?” He'd ignored the strange looks at first, but it was getting ridiculous.

“Because,” Ryan grinned. “This way's more fun.”

Ray hit him in the arm. “You bastard,” he grumbled. Ryan just laughed and batted his hand away playfully. “Come on,” Ray sighed. “I'm gonna be late, it's almost nine.”  
“Late for...?”

“My job,” Ray called over his shoulder, then remembered that to those walking by he was talking to seemingly no one. He clenched his jaw and set off. He heard Ryan sigh, mumble something about the mission “taking forever at this rate,” and follow him reluctantly.

Ray only lived a block or two from his office at Rooster Teeth, so getting there was not an issue. He left the office door open behind him intentionally, and a grateful Ryan slipped through it. His seat was far from the couch Ryan sank down on. Ray silently hoped no one would go to take a nap today, or else Ryan would have to sit in a chair; as much as Ryan insisted he was invisible, he was definitely tangible, judging by the way the couch shifted barely under his weight.

During recording, Ray felt Michael's eyes watching him, glancing in his peripherals. For a brief moment, Ray was afraid Michael could see Ryan, or see him looking over at Ryan when he thought no one was watching. But, no, that was impossible. How could Michael see any of that? Ray was just being paranoid.

 

-

 

Ray finished his editing around one o'clock; Wednesday was his light day, anyways. He decided to go ahead and pack up rather than stick around and play with the others like he usually did. Ryan close behind out the doors, Ray made the short walk back to his apartment.

It was time to get to work. He could tell, could feel it in the way Ryan immediately steered him into the living room, taking the seat to his left. The man angled his body to face Ray.

“I can tell you're ready to continue,” Ray voiced the observation before Ryan had a chance to say anything. “Are we gonna do this whole 'talk it out' thing rather than you just dragging me up and down the streets, or...”

Ryan rolled his eyes and shook his head in exasperation. “No,” he sighed. “Wandering around won't get us anywhere. I don't know what I was thinking, honestly. We've got to take a logical approach to this. Maybe formulate some sort of plan.”

“Never thought I'd see the day someone actually tried to get me laid,” Ray laughed.

“Well, to be fair, it's more than that,” Ryan said. “We are looking for your soul mate, after all.”

“What? Is there actually such thing?”

“Of course,” Ryan said, as if it shouldn't have even been a question he had to answer, but the look on Ray's face prompted him to expand on his answer. “Everyone has one. Most people just never get to meet theirs, is all. With seven billion people on this planet, you can imagine how easy it is to miss them.”

Ray nodded somberly. “So... it's too late to change the wish, then.” Not so much a question than a statement, but Ryan decided to acknowledge it as the former.

“Afraid so. Sorry, if that's what you really wanted to do.”

“Ehh, it's fine,” Ray waved him off. “It was a dumb wish I made as a stupid kid. Not much I can change about that, anyways.” They fell silent for a moment before Ray cleared his throat. “So, you wanted to get to work- where do we start?”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See you all next chapter! Thank you for all the comments and kudo's so far :)


End file.
